Virginia Barcones presents the security operation and the ‘Be Free’ campaign. Estar Viva’ on the occasion of the Ebrovision festival of Miranda de Ebro

• The National Police assign more than 90 agents to monitor the proper development of the festival that lasts until next Sunday. To these must be added the troops of the Civil Guard • The delegate of the Government in Castilla y León explains that the musical event that is held in the town of Burgos stands out for being “close and safe” and deserves to remain so

August 31, 2023.- The delegate of the Government in Castilla y León, Virginia Barcones, has presented in Miranda de Ebro the security device that the State Security Forces and Bodies will deploy during the XXI Festival Ebrovisión de Miranda de Ebro organized by the Association Friends of Rafael Izquierdo. Likewise, he has reported on the awareness campaign against gender violence ‘Ser Libre. Estar Viva’ which will be displayed during the festival.

At the event that took place at the Anduva Sports Center, the main stage of the festival. The mayor of Miranda de Ebro, Aitana Hernando, was present; the deputy delegate of the Government in Burgos, Pedro de la Fuente; the acting provincial commissioner of the Provincial Commissariat of Burgos, Benito Martínez; the lieutenant colonel and head of the Command of the Civil Guard in Burgos, Alfonso Martín Fernández; the spokesman of the Association of Friends of Rafael Izquierdo organized by Ebrovisión, Ramiro Molinero.

From today Thursday and until next Sunday it is estimated that some 20,000 people will meet in Miranda de Ebro to enjoy some of the 25 groups that act in Ebrovisión. The high point in terms of the number of festivals will take place from Friday’s day

In this year’s edition, the leaders of the Association of Friends of Rafael Izquierdo that organizes the festival have made an effort to grow. The budget has been increased and there are more developments than in previous years. Among those novelties is that of a greater number of stages and the use for the first time of the sports center of Anduva.

The State Security Corps and Forces have prepared a security device in line with the organization’s effort to grow. “Ebrovisión has always been a close and safe festival. In this regard, the National Police and the Civil Guard have made an effort to continue being so,” explained the delegate of the Government.

The National Police is in charge of carrying the weight in terms of security in the urban center of Miranda and in its streets. For this year’s edition it will make the greatest effort in the history of Ebrovision, an effort that will be reflected in the number of agents deployed. In total, the National Police will deploy 92 officers during the festival. We are talking about 67 agents from Miranda de Ebro and reinforcements from other provinces to which we must add 25 agents from Burgos.

“We talk about a device that proportionally, taking into account the number of festivals and the number of National Police agents, is greater than that of the Sonorama Ribera,” said Virginia Barcones.

The mechanism provided by the National Police has also established a protocol for dealing with a case of gender-based violence. This protocol establishes that from the very moment in which the first news is received and with the aim of guaranteeing the immediate assistance of the victim, protecting his dignity and privacy, transfer it without delay to the medical emergency services. At the same time, the scenarios of the commission of the crime, the preservation of evidence, vestiges and indications of the event, as well as obtaining the first manifestations of what happened, are kept intact in order to locate witnesses and identify and arrest the perpetrator.

The National Police will maintain parallel attention to other neighborhoods and streets where a potential risk to citizen security and the commission of criminal actions are detected. It will also cover ordinary citizen requirements, without diminishing quality in the services provided on a daily basis.

On the other hand, the celebration of Ebrovisión causes more displacements on the surrounding roads of Miranda. This control of the peripheral roads is the responsibility of the Civil Guard, which has had an operation consisting of 14 agents and 12 vehicles, including a dog from the Cinological Service for the detection of drugs.

Virginia Barcones recalled that the celebration of the festival coincides with Operation Return of the Holidays and that the Civil Traffic Guard in the province of Burgos has arranged a special device on the roads to ensure the safety of the one hundred nineteen thousand (119,000) displacements that are scheduled until 23:59 hours on Sunday.

CAMPAIGN BE FREE BE ALIVE

Many of the attendees at Ebrovisión are young people who do not exceed 30 years old. To that young audience is specially directed ‘Ser Libre. Estar Viva’, the awareness campaign focused on the fight against male aggression and violence.

The government delegate explained that she presents herself in a safe municipality such as Miranda de Ebro. According to the data of the Crime Balance of the Ministry of the Interior for the first quarter of 2023, in Miranda no crime against sexual freedom was counted in that period.

‘Be free. Living Alive’ is a transversal campaign that does not want to focus only on awareness. It is aimed primarily at young people and the places they occupy during this summer period. That is, festivals, patron saint’s parties and nightlife venues. He has been to festivals such as Enclave de Agua or Sonorama Ribera and now comes to Ebrovisión. “We talk about a campaign that will also be present in the patron saint’s festivities to the Virgin of Altamira that they celebrate from September 8 to 12,” added Virginia Barcones.

In all these events, the Violet Points were essential. The Violeta Points are part of the catalogue of measures of the Improvement and Modernization Plan promoted by different ministries of the Government of Spain and represent a change of focus in public policies of attention to victims, placing male violence as a structural problem that requires the involvement of the whole of society to end it.

With these Violeta Points, an attempt is made to involve the whole of society in the fight against male violence. Tools are offered as a guide with information on how to act in the face of a case of male violence in the environment, as well as resources for the victims themselves. It also includes information on what male violence is, its different manifestations, and how to detect it. In short, we are talking about a point of relief to which a victim must address a case of male violence.

‘Be Free. Estar Viva’ will be present at these Violeta Points and for this purpose posters, tapavasos, glasses, fans and cards will be distributed. Victims of a case of gender violence should know that, in addition to 016, they have at their disposal the application Alertcops, 062 of the Civil Guard, 091 of the National Police, 112 of Emergencies and a QR code that directs you to a page with information. During the campaign, the importance of free legal assistance, psychological care, the work of the State Security Forces and Corps, the importance of women’s networks, without forgetting all the policies of prevention and accompaniment to victims, will also be highlighted.

“The campaign should be about information and awareness, but, in case of making a call to one of these numbers, there should also be a quick response to attend to the victims,” said the government delegate.

STATE PACT FUNDS

The Violeta Points will be present at these festivities and will continue to be present in the future as the municipalities have had funds from the State Pact against Gender Violence for five years.

In this regard, in Castilla y León the municipalities have received 22 million euros since 2018. In addition, the autonomous community of Castilla y León has received this year 14 M€ from the Government of Spain to combat violence against women.

Before finishing Virginia Barcones wished that time would accompany as much as possible during the development of Ebrovisión. “That the effort made by the organization, to have outdoor scenarios complemented with other activities on the street, is not tarnished by bad weather,” he said.